How to Tackle Adverse Weather Visibility on European Roads?

Adverse weather is a recurring cause of accidents on European motorways, and the risk varies sharply with terrain and climate. Two MATIS partners, working in contrasting geographical contexts, have each deployed a system suited to their local conditions

APCAP – Scutvias: anticipating the risk before it reaches the driver

On the A23 motorway in Portugal, around the Gardunha Tunnel, our partner APCAP – Scutvias addressed this by integrating new weather stations, installed at strategic high-altitude points and equipped with multiple sensors, into the existing C-ITS infrastructure. Data is collected continuously and transmitted via a secure telecom network to the Traffic Control Centre (TCC). When readings exceed predefined safety thresholds, the system triggers alerts that feed directly into traffic management actions: dynamic speed limit adjustments, warnings on Variable Message Signs (VMS), and real-time hazard information sent to connected vehicles via V2I communication.

What makes the deployment distinctive is how tightly weather data collection and traffic management are integrated. Rather than alerting operators only once conditions have already deteriorated, the system turns sensor readings straight into operational decisions, reaching the control room and drivers at the same time, with enough warning to adapt. The benefits follow directly from that speed: weather-related accidents become less frequent, traffic flows more smoothly with fewer bottlenecks and fuel use and emissions fall.

 

Autovia Padana – SINA: guiding drivers through foggy landscape

The challenge on the A21 Piacenza–Cremona–Brescia motorway is shaped by a very different geography. The Po Valley is one of Europe’s foggiest regions, and the 12.9 km section between the Fiorenzuola junction and Cremona station regularly sees visibility drop to near zero. Our partners Autovia Padana and SINA responded by replacing passive orange reflectors with active LED signs: yellow/amber edge delineators installed every 25 metres along the traffic divider, in both directions, managed centrally by the TCC.

The logic behind the choice is simple: passive reflectors only work when a vehicle’s headlights hit them, exactly the condition fog removes. The active LED system creates a continuous luminous guide along the motorway route that holds regardless of ambient visibility, helping drivers maintain a safe trajectory through conditions where standard road markings effectively disappear. That continuity shows up directly in the results: secondary accidents become fewer and less severe, congestion and travel-time losses fall, and fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions drop with them.

From Seville to Brussels: MATIS 2 takes European C-ITS cooperation a step further

On 29 September 2026, during the Connecting Europe Days 2026 in Brussels, MATIS 2, C-Roads and VERKKO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that opens a new chapter in their cooperation and reaffirms a shared ambition: accelerating the deployment of harmonised and interoperable Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) services across Europe.

C-Roads is the platform through which European Member States and road operators harmonise C-ITS services across borders. MATIS 2 was also present on the C-Roads stand during the event, highlighting the close links between European deployment projects and harmonisation activities.

Building on the cooperation launched in 2025

This new agreement is part of a broader cooperation dynamic initiated with MATIS. At the ITS European Congress in Seville in May 2025, MATIS 1 signed a first MoU with X4ITS, MERIDIAN, SCALE and C-Roads, strengthening ties between major European corridor initiatives and supporting a common approach to C-ITS deployment. One year later, MATIS 2 is carrying this momentum forward. The MoU with C-Roads and VERKKO builds on this foundation while adapting the framework to the next generation of European C-ITS deployment activities.

The objective remains clear: connect what happens on the road with what is developed at European level.

From cooperation to concrete action

The MoU is designed to turn cooperation into practical exchanges between deployment projects and European harmonisation activities. MATIS 2 and VERKKO will rely on C-Roads specifications for their C-ITS deployments, while lessons learned from these deployments will feed into the continuous development of those specifications. The partnership may also cover cross-testing and validation, evaluation methodologies, exchanges on deployment use cases and the development of a common C-ITS Deployment Strategy supporting the long-term operation of C-ITS services in Europe. By strengthening the bridge between harmonisation and real-world deployment, the three partners aim to avoid duplication, share experience and help ensure that C-ITS services work seamlessly across projects, networks and borders.

One shared direction for European

C-ITS From Seville to Brussels, the direction is consistent: closer alignment between European C-ITS initiatives and stronger interoperability. With this agreement, MATIS 2, C-Roads and VERKKO confirm their commitment to working together towards a more connected European road network**, in support of** Europe’s ambitions for safer, more sustainable and more efficient mobility.